Here is a simple practice that can help you release daily stress from the constant barrage of dystopian news.

You can adapt this to your own mobility needs, sitting or even laying down if that's helpful. It works best as prevention during ongoing stress, not so much for processing trauma that's already rooted (though there are other somatic techniques that can).

When you feel "tight," "jittery," or "heavy," your body is basically full of adrenaline, ready for a fight you can't physically have, so you need to tell your body the "threat" has passed.

If you'd like, let your body shake or wave for 30–60 seconds, or even put on music and dance. The idea is to activate and discharge the energy so that it doesn't settle in as trauma.

This mimics how animals in the wild shake after surviving a predator to discharge the excess sympathetic arousal. Of course, the threat hasn't really passed, we'll all have to work together to address it for real.

But not only can somatic release help you stay grounded for the very real struggle we're all in, but it can help prevent it from settling in as long-term, complex trauma.

Your anxiety is a perfectly reasonable response to disturbing news, and it's OK to let those feelings do their work. This practice is about preventing it from settling in and causing long-term harm.